No FFL 80% Polymer Lowers

[mooner]

If you have a mill, it really only takes a simple fixture that will allow you to hold the lower right-side up in a vice - accounting for the irregularities on the sides of the lower. 

Is it so easy the average Joe can do it in his garage?  Probably not. 
Is it difficult if you have the right equipment and know how?  Not at all. 
Is it going to save you any money?  Nope.  Especially if you account for your time.

[PegLeg45]

That's the ONE appealing thing about the poly unit.... the machining.
Technically, it can be done with hand tools. (providing that you have mechanical aptitude, and patience)
OPTIMALLY, a mill would be better.


From their website:

Mandatory items you'll need:

Drill press
3/8" or smaller end mill
5/32 drill bit for the hammer/trigger pins
3/8 drill bit for the selector
C-Clamps
Dremel tool with a variety of cutter bits and sanding bits
Files
Sandpaper
Level
Safety glasses
Gloves
and of course some patience.

Optional items that will help:

Drill press table with X & Y axis (available from Harbor Freight Tools)

I have the aptitude, applicable skill, and the ability to do something like this..........

BUT, like I said earlier, I doubt I would buy one of these units ......(unless I just had the spare funds enough just to see, for the mechanical challenge).

I was just mainly: A) Seeing if anyone HAD done it
                               B) Providing information for conversation on a gun-related topic
                                    (it is a firearms-related forum, yes?).  

[1911 Junkie]

[quote author=PegLeg45 link=topic=23469.msg285601#msg285601 date=138205
                                    (it is a firearms-related forum, yes?).
[/quote]

Some days it is.   

[Solus]

A few 1000s of these might be handy if you were equipping the New Revolutionary Army....but then the web site is probably staffed by the FBI, day shift, CIA evening shift and HLS graveyard shift.

 

[PegLeg45]

Some days it is.   

 

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

no way i would want to drill that with a hand drill.   they just are not accurate. I supose you could make a jig to keep is square( locating could be done by several means and get close enough)   drill bits don't produce that great of a hole anyways, drill, then ream.( hand is fine)

[blackwolfe]

You can also get a weldable lower kit here:

http://www.theflatspot.net/ar-15-receiver-flat.html

Another interesting sight for building your own stuff.  I think this is Bill Holmes that has written a number of books on home made wepeons.

http://theredneckengineer.blogspot.com/

And another sight:

http://www.weaponsguild.com/

[lhprop1]

I have a poymer lower for my AR.  I've put a few thousand rounds through it and haven't had any issues so far at all. 

[Respen33]

no way i would want to drill that with a hand drill.   they just are not accurate. I supose you could make a jig to keep is square( locating could be done by several means and get close enough)   drill bits don't produce that great of a hole anyways, drill, then ream.( hand is fine)

You can invest in a powered drill press for 139.99-199.99 from Lowes, Home Depot, or Sears. I bought a jig for 100 bucks too for my DPMS 308 lower. I'll be getting one for AR-15 soon too. Put in the time and I think it's a worthwhile investment. You can say you built your rifle to the point where you had to mill the lower.

[ExurbanKevin]

I crowd-sourced an 80% lower thru Rockethub, and the durn thing is finally shipping. The reason I bought it is to write about building your own lower for the blog, but the time and money needed to complete the thing makes it a dodgy proposition compared to all the cheap complete lowers out there.

And I have a polymer lower, one of the last of the original CavArms builds, and it works great, no issues with it at all.